William w



w. w. HAWKINS "Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,789

INTERRUPTER MECHANISM Filed Dec. 14 1921 Patented Dec, 9, 1924.

j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. HAWKINS, OF BROOKLYN, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WEBSTER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

INTERRUPTER MECHANISM.

Application filed December 14, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM W. HAWKINS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Interrupter Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an interrupter mechanism that is particularly suitable for use in an ignition system wherein the ignition current is supplied by a battery.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an interrupter mechanism wherein the engagement and disengagement of the contacts is efi'ected with great rapidity, the contacts being permitted to remain in engagement for but extremely short periods of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide an interrupter mechanism that is particularly adapted to be operated by a cam formed by providing a flat spot on a shaft forming part of the engine with which the ignition apparatus is associated.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following detailed description progresses.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the interrupter mechanism of my present invention, and I Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of same.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts in both the figures.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates a shaft forming part of an engine with which the apparatus of my present invention is associated, said shaft being provided with a fiat spot 11. At 12 is indicated a plate which is provided with a circular opening 13 for the reception of shaft 10, and with a pair of slots 1414, for the reception of bolts (not shown) wherewith the plate is secured to the engine frame in proper angular relation to shaft 10. Slots 14-14 permit ready angular adjustment of plate 10 to advance or retard the spark.

Indicated at 15 is a lever which is mounted on plate 12 by a pivot pin 16. Movement of Serial No. 522,433.

lever 15 upon its pivot is limited by a screw 17, which engages in plate 12 and extends through an elongated arcuate slot 18 in lever 15. Lever 15 carries a follower block 19 which is at all times urged into contact with shaft 10 by a U-shaped leaf spring 20. One end of spring 20 is attached to the free end of lever 15 and its other end is attached to a block 21, block 21 in turn being rigidly secured to plate 12. Pivoted to the free end of lever 15 is a finger 22, one end of which is held yieldingly in contact with the lever by a light leaf spring 23. The other end of the finger is provided with an inclined end surface 24, the purpose of which will presently appear.

At 25 and 26, I have illustrated stationary and movable contacts. The stationary contact 25 is carried by a screw 27 which is adjustably mounted in block 28, block 28 be ing effectively insulated from plate 12 by dielectric material 29. The movable contact is carried upon the free end of the leaf spring 30, the other end of leaf spring 30 being fixed to a block 31, which is fixed to plate 12, as indicated. The movable contact is grounded to plate 12 (thence to the engine frame) through spring 30, and block 31. It should be noted that spring 30 carries a weight or inertia member 32.

Spring 30 normally assumes a position wherein its free end lies adjacent the lower end of a reciprocating stem or hammer 33. The stem or hammer is mounted for reciprocation in bearing blocks 34 and 35, which in turn are carried by plate 12. The stem or hammer 33 is provided with a shoulder 36, and acting between this shoulder and the bearing block 34 is a compression spring 37,

which normally holds nut 38 in engagement with bearing block 34.

The stationary contact 25 is connected with the insulated side of the ignition circuit which, in the present instance, includes a battery 39, ignition coil 40 and spark plug 41.

In operation, when the follower 19 rides upon the flat spot 11 of shaft 10, finger 22- slips past and behind the shoulder 36 of hammer 33. This operation is caused by spring 20, light spring 23 yielding to permit finger 22 to slip past shoulder 36, as just explained. When the follower 19 rides off the fiat spot 11, the arm 15 is moved against the pressure of spring 20. In this case, however,

finger 22 lies behind shoulder 86, conse quently hammer is coclted against the pressure of spring 37. .he finger 22 lifts the hammer a predetermined distance, and then slips off the shoulder As soon as the finger disengages the shoulder, hammer 33 moves rapidly under the influence of spring 37, and strikes spring 30 ahammer blow. Sprin 30 moves under said blow and carries the movable contact into momentary engagement with the stationary contact, the spring 30 then resuming its normal position. This cycle of oper on is repeated once for every revolution of shaft 10.

Having thus illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, but wish to avail myself of all other embodiments of the invention defined by the a Jpended claims What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An interrupter mechanisi'n comprising stationary and movable contacts, a hammer, a spring associated with said hammer, a rotatable cam, a pivotally su 'iported lever, a follower on said lever, resilient means for nniintaining said follower in e: geinent with said cam, and a spr g pressed finger at the end of said lever adapted upon movement of said end in one direction to engage and move said hammer to place said spring under tension whereupon said finger disengages said hammer, and upon movement of said lever in the other direction to pass by without effecting movement of said hammer, said hammer adapted to strike the movable contact a hammer blow and drive it into engagement with the stationary contact, and spring means associated with the movable contact adapted immediately to separate the contacts.

2. An ignition circuit interrupter comprising a stationary contact, a movable contact, a leaf spring fixed at one end, the other end of said leaf spring); carrying the movable contact and normally holding same out of engagement with the stationary contact, a spring actuated hammer, a rotatable cam, a pivotally supported lever, a follower on said lever, and a spring pressed finger at the end of said lever, said finger being adapted upon movement in one direction to engage and subsequently disengage said hammer, and upon movement in the other direction to pass by said hammer without effecting movement thereof, said hammer adapted when released to drive said movable contact into momentary engagement with the stationary contact.

3. In combination, stationary and movable contacts, a leaf spring carrying the movable contact and normally holding same out of engagement with the stationary con tact, the spring being fixed at one end and carrying the movable contact at the. other end, an inertia member carried by said spring, aspring impelled hammer adapted periodically to drive said movable contact into momentary engagement with the sta tionary contact, a pivotally supported lever, means for causing said lever to oscillate about its pivotal support, and a spring pressed finger at the end of said leve adapted upon movement of said lever in one direction to engage and subsequently discugane said hammer, and upon movement of said lever in the opposite direction to pass by said hammer without effecting movement thereof.

l. An ignition circuit interrupter mechanism comprising a. plate having an opening therein for the reception of an engine shaft having a cam surface,'a stationary contact carried by said plate, a movable contact di pose-d adjacent said stationary contact but normally out of engagement therewith, a leaf spring by which said movable contact is carried, said movable contact being mounted upon one end of said leaf spring. the other end of said leaf spring being fixed with respect to the plate, a hammer m ountcd for reciprocation in a line co-incident with said contacts, a spring associated with said hammer and normally urging same toward the movable contact, a lever arm provided with a follower adapted to co-operate with said shaft, spring means normally holding! said follower in en gagementwith said shaft, and a finger adapted to move independently of said hammer when said lever moved under the influence of its associated spring means, said finger adapted to engage the hammer, move the hammer against the action of its associated spring means and release it when the lever is moved under pressure applied to said follower by the engine shaft.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 7 day of December. 1,9521.

WM. W. HAWKINS. Witnesses:

J HOWARD ASHFIELD, L. B. SLorHARD.

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